The convicted burglar said he was sorry for the hardship he has caused the victim, "a long-time family friend."

Joshua Q. Case, 22, of 4247 Zenobia Road, Wakeman, pleaded guilty earlier to burglary. Since his early August guilty plea and after spending 94 days in the Huron County Jail, he started attending GED classes and started working part-time.

Huron County Sheriff's Cpl. Jeff Kerber handled the investigation of the May 2 incident.

"Mr. Case cooperated with authorities. He told them where everything was," Huron County Public Defender David Longo said at Tuesday's sentencing hearing.

"I think he's sincere in being remorseful. ... I think he's sincere in wanting to turn things around," said Longo, who earlier described the crime as "essentially a sneak theft," which didn't involve any forced entry.

Case violated the trust of a friend, Huron County Prosecutor Russell Leffler said.

The victim wasn't in court Tuesday and didn't request any restitution.

"The state thinks this is a serious matter, going into a home and taking items," said Leffler, who recommended a 60-day jail term.

After hearing from both attorneys, Huron County Common Pleas Judge Jim Conway said he didn't think Leffler's request was out of line, but imposed no further jail time. The judge credited Case with furthering his education and getting a job.

As part of his three years of probation, Case was fined $500 and ordered to obtain his GED. The judge ordered him to undergo substance abuse counseling and random drug screens.

Case is prohibited from having any association with the victim for the next three years.

"He was a long-time family friend," Conway said.

If Case violates the terms of his probation, he faces 18 months in prison.